Where Are the Subsidy Savings? Published February 2, 2014 By Nse Udoh The Southern African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has called on government to tell nation the benefits that the country has accrued so far from the removal of subsidies on fuel and maize. The Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba had earlier indicated that funds being saved from the removal of subsidies could only be known at the end the year 2013. However, Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda recently clarified that no funds are being saved from the removal of subsidies as what government is merely doing is preventing expenditure to the subsidies by increasing allocation of funds to other needy areas. SACCORD is also of the view that the government should further tell the nation the benefits the country will accrue from the said suspended subsidies in the next one or two years from now. Executive Director Boniface Cheembe says his organization’s appeal to government is in view of the contradictory positions government has given on the savings that current being made from the removed subsidies on fuel and Maize. Cheembe notes that by giving such information to the public, government will be actually giving a basis upon which people in the country will make informed decisions in terms of supporting it or not on the issue of the value of lifting subsidies on maize and fuel. He says his organization hopes government can give a unifying statement that reconciles its contradictory statements on the funds being saved from the removal of subsidies on fuel and maize.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:47:27 +0000
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